2023-02-23 18:49:27 by ambuda-bot
This page has not been fully proofread.
278
THE CANDIŚATAKA OF BĀŅA
yasyāḥ pāde hatārāu hasita iva hariḥ sā 'stu kālī śriye vaḥ
'In a former age, he (Viṣṇu), in the guise of a lion,¹ split open
with his ten finger-nails the breast of (Hiraṇyakaśipu), Foe
of the Gods;
But we, these mere five toe-nails of a young woman, bring our
foe (Mahisa) to utter destruction.'
In these words Hari (Vișnu) is, as it were, mocked by the pride-
filled toe-nails on the foe-killing foot of Kälī (Candi)-
Toe-nails that are veritable moon-stones by reason of their self-
radiant splendor.
May that Kāli (Candi) bring you prosperity!
Notes. I. The word enaraja means, literally, 'king of antelopes,' but is
glossed by simha, 'lion.' The reference is to Vişņu in his fourth incarna-
tion, when, as the nara-simha, 'man-lion,' he tore open with his finger-
nails the breast of the demon Hiranyakaśipu; cf. Mahabharata, 3. 102. 22;
Bhagavata Purāṇa, 7.8. 12-31 (Dutt, book 7, cap. 8, p. 40-42); Harivamsa,
the Bhavisya Parvan, 39 (Dutt, p. 919); Moor, Hindu Pantheon, pl. 26, p.
112. See also Mayūra's stanza, entitled 'The Claws of Narasimha,' trans-
lated above, p. 240. 2. The commentary says: 'They were the finger-
nails of Hari (Vişņu); we are but toe-nails of a woman; they were ten,
we but five; by them merely the breast [of Hiranyakaśipu] was torn open,
but by us our foe (Mahişa) was brought to utter annihilation; hence the
cause of our pride.'
V.L. (c) ity utpannabhimanair atiruciranakhaiḥ. (d) sa 'stu fantyai
fivā vaḥ.
12
raktäkte 'laktakaśrīr vijayini vijaye no virājaty amuşmin
hāso hastāgrasamvāhanam api dalitādrīndrasāradviso 'sya
träsenāivā 'dya sarvaḥ praṇamati kadanenā 'muneti kṣatāriḥ
pādo 'vyāc cumbito vo rahasi vihasatā tryambakenā 'mbikāyāḥ
'<O Vijayā>,¹ there is no sheen of lac-dye glistening on this
victorious [foot], which is [already] smeared with blood <in
the victory>,
And a massaging with the fingers of this [foot] that has destroyed
its enemy (Mahisa), mighty as (Himalaya), Indra of Moun-
tains, would be mockery;
THE CANDIŚATAKA OF BĀŅA
yasyāḥ pāde hatārāu hasita iva hariḥ sā 'stu kālī śriye vaḥ
'In a former age, he (Viṣṇu), in the guise of a lion,¹ split open
with his ten finger-nails the breast of (Hiraṇyakaśipu), Foe
of the Gods;
But we, these mere five toe-nails of a young woman, bring our
foe (Mahisa) to utter destruction.'
In these words Hari (Vișnu) is, as it were, mocked by the pride-
filled toe-nails on the foe-killing foot of Kälī (Candi)-
Toe-nails that are veritable moon-stones by reason of their self-
radiant splendor.
May that Kāli (Candi) bring you prosperity!
Notes. I. The word enaraja means, literally, 'king of antelopes,' but is
glossed by simha, 'lion.' The reference is to Vişņu in his fourth incarna-
tion, when, as the nara-simha, 'man-lion,' he tore open with his finger-
nails the breast of the demon Hiranyakaśipu; cf. Mahabharata, 3. 102. 22;
Bhagavata Purāṇa, 7.8. 12-31 (Dutt, book 7, cap. 8, p. 40-42); Harivamsa,
the Bhavisya Parvan, 39 (Dutt, p. 919); Moor, Hindu Pantheon, pl. 26, p.
112. See also Mayūra's stanza, entitled 'The Claws of Narasimha,' trans-
lated above, p. 240. 2. The commentary says: 'They were the finger-
nails of Hari (Vişņu); we are but toe-nails of a woman; they were ten,
we but five; by them merely the breast [of Hiranyakaśipu] was torn open,
but by us our foe (Mahişa) was brought to utter annihilation; hence the
cause of our pride.'
V.L. (c) ity utpannabhimanair atiruciranakhaiḥ. (d) sa 'stu fantyai
fivā vaḥ.
12
raktäkte 'laktakaśrīr vijayini vijaye no virājaty amuşmin
hāso hastāgrasamvāhanam api dalitādrīndrasāradviso 'sya
träsenāivā 'dya sarvaḥ praṇamati kadanenā 'muneti kṣatāriḥ
pādo 'vyāc cumbito vo rahasi vihasatā tryambakenā 'mbikāyāḥ
'<O Vijayā>,¹ there is no sheen of lac-dye glistening on this
victorious [foot], which is [already] smeared with blood <in
the victory>,
And a massaging with the fingers of this [foot] that has destroyed
its enemy (Mahisa), mighty as (Himalaya), Indra of Moun-
tains, would be mockery;